Earlier this month, Neema Crafts' workers were honoured when each of them was passed the freedom torch, Tanzania's national icon, during a ceremony that symbolically acknowledged all their achievements. Andy Hart reports. 
Susie Hart standing behind the freedom torch; on her right is one of its official escorts. (Photo: © Andrew Hart/CMS) We have really hit the ground running here. On the Wednesday after we arrived back in Tanzania, we found that Neema Crafts had been selected to receive a visit from the freedom torch, one of Tanzania's national symbols.
The Tanzanian Olympic team is accompanying it on a visit to selected venues around the country, and Neema Crafts had been chosen to be one of them.
[Neema Crafts, which CMS mission partner Susie Hart helped to found, offers handicrafts training and employment opportunities to deaf and physically disabled people in Iringa, Tanzania. The crafts project employs over 80 people.]
This itinerary is almost the Tanzanian equivalent of the British authorities allowing the Crown Jewels to be removed from the Tower of London -- although the torch isn't quite as valuable of course -- and to be taken on tour around the UK.
There was lots of ceremony and all the visiting dignatories were shown around the workshop after speeches, etc.
Patrick, Neema's dance group's deaf drummer, holding the freedom torch(Photo: © Andrew Hart/CMS)Then before they left, they decided to break with protocol.
Usually, no one touches the torch except its official escort.
However, because the visitors were so impressed by what they saw at Neema (meaning 'Grace'), all the Neema employees were asked to stand in a line and the torch was passed along it hand to hand -- a great honour for them.
It was truly touching to see the torchbearer go down on his knees to hand the torch to Kasim, who has polio and gets about by crawling along the ground.
Andy and Susie Hart, with their daughters, have been serving in the Diocese of Ruaha, Tanzania, since 2002.
Andy and Sue, with some of their friends from Neema, will be at Greenbelt Arts Festival 2008 over the August Bank Holiday weekend. They will be making cards from recycled elephant dung and a group of Neema workers will be dancing there. If you're at Cheltenham Racecourse this year, introduce yourself to them.
See www.cms-uk.org/neema